CCoommmmiitttteeee DDaaiillyy BBuulllleettiinn th 18 Congress A publication of the Committee Affairs Department Vol. II No. 19 Second Regular Session Department August 25, 2020 COMMITTEE MEETINGS ON HOUSE MEASURES MEASURES COMMITTEE PRINCIPAL SUBJECT MATTER ACTION TAKEN/DISCUSSION NO. AUTHOR Appropriations Substitute Reps. Fortun, Granting additional benefits to solo The Committee, presided by its Vice Chair, Bill to HBs Brosas, Barbers, parents, amending for the purpose RA Quirino Rep. Junie Cua, approved with 1622, 478, Pineda, Deputy 8972, otherwise known as the Solo amendment the substitute bill to the 21 507, 1939, Speaker Parents Welfare Act of 2000 measures, subject to style. 2538, 2661, Gonzales (A.), 3088, 3513, Reps. Sy- Rep. Cheryl Deloso-Montalla (2nd District, 3533, 3703, Alvarado, Zambales), Chair of the Committee on 3902, 3911, Villaraza- Revision of Laws from where the bill 4040, 4242, Suarez, originated, said that the proposed Solo Parent 4782, 4971, Aragones, Welfare Act seeks to grant additional benefits 5059, 5497, Castelo, Deputy to solo parents to aid them in raising their 5708, 5819 Speakers children to become responsible and productive & 6051 Fernandez, members of the society. She added that the bill Legarda, and is one of the President’s priority measures. Hernandez, Reps. Abaya, The Committee adopted the language of the Guico, Nieto, funding provision proposed by Committee Vice Agabas, Delos Chair Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga (2nd District, Santos, Compostela Valley). Pacquiao (A.), Vargas, and Deputy Speaker Villafuerte Substitute Reps. Providing protection to consumers and The Committee approved with amendment the Bill to HBs Gatchalian and merchants engaged in internet Substitute Bill to HBs 6122 and 6958, subject 6122 and Garbin transactions, creating for the purpose the to style. 6958 Electronic Commerce Bureau, and appropriating funds therefor Rep. Wes Gatchalian (1st District, Valenzuela City), author of HB 6122 and Chair of the Committee on Trade and Industry from where the Substitute Bill originated, said that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a growing dependence on online transactions. To protect both online merchants and consumers, the proposed law seeks to create the Electronic Commerce Bureau which will be under the Department of Trade and Industry and shall serve as a virtual one-stop shop for consumer complaints on internet transactions. The proposed Bureau shall take measures to build the trust between consumers and sellers to promote eCommerce growth. The proposed law is likewise a priority bill of the President. The Committee adopted the language of the funding provision proposed by Rep. Gonzaga. Substitute Rep. Cua Providing for Government Financial The Committee approved with amendment the Bill to HB Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Substitute Bill to HB 6795 subject to style. 6795 Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE) The proposed law seeks to capacitate the Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines, and the Philippine Guarantee Corporation by increasing their Continuation… paid-up capital in order for them to expand the Appropriations support to the credit needs of the micro, small and medium enterprises and other strategically important enterprises during the time of pandemic. Health HBs 2880, Reps. Hofer, Establishing general, tertiary, and The Committee, chaired by Rep. Angelina 3879, 3880 Bautista- community hospitals in certain parts of the "Helen" Tan, M.D. (4th District, Quezon), & 7146 Bandigan, and country and appropriating funds therefor approved the five bills subject to style and Singson- amendment and compliance with the Meehan requirements set by the Department of Health (DOH). HB 2883 Rep. Malapitan Renaming the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez The Committee approved HB 2883 subject to Memorial Hospital in the City of Caloocan style and amendment and compliance with the into Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Medical Center, requirements set by the DOH. and appropriating funds therefor, amending for the purpose Batas Pambansa Blg. 94, or the law renaming the Central Luzon Sanitarium at Tala, City of Caloocan, as Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital HBs 3066, Reps. Umali, Converting/increasing the bed capacity of The Committee approved the four bills subject 3067, 3076 Espino, and Tan hospitals in certain parts of the country and to style and amendment and compliance with & 4477 (S.A.) appropriating funds therefor the requirements set by the DOH. HB 6859 Speaker Establishing a level 2 hospital in the The Committee approved HB 6859 subject to Cayetano Municipality of Bocaue, Province of style and amendment and compliance with the Bulacan, to be known as the Joni requirements set by the DOH. Villanueva General Hospital, and appropriating funds therefor Rep. Estrellita Suansing (1st District, Nueva Ecija), sponsored HB 6859 in behalf of Speaker Alan Peter "Compañero" Cayetano (1st District, Taguig City-Pateros). She conveyed to the body the Speaker’s request to change the name of the proposed hospital to Joni Villanueva General Hospital in honor of the late Bocaue, Bulacan Mayor Eleanor “Joni” Villanueva-Tugna, who succumbed to bacterial pneumonia on May 28, 2020. She was the sister of Senator Joel Villanueva and daughter of Deputy Speaker Eduardo "Bro. Eddie" Villanueva (Party-List, CIBAC). Originally, HB 6859 seeks to establish a level 2 hospital in the Municipality of Bocaue, Province of Bulacan, to be known as the Joaquin Villanueva Hospital. HBs 6809, Reps. Instituting the medical reserve corps The Committee agreed to create a technical 6821, 7007, Tambunting, (MRC), appropriating funds therefor working group (TWG) to study further the ten 7157, 7267, Suarez (D.), bills. 7274, 7331, Deputy Speaker 7361, 7365 Villafuerte, Rep. Tan, author of HB 7331, said that her bill & 7383 Reps. Vargas, seeks to create and develop the MRC under Rodriguez, the Health Emergency Management Bureau Daza, Tan (A.), (HEMB) of the DOH to address the Yu, Suansing weaknesses of the country’s healthcare (E.), and system, one of which is its inability to cope with Chipeco the surge of patients needing medical care due to lack of medically-trained personnel. The bill also aims to strengthen the national preparedness and response of the government to public health emergencies. 2 of 13 Continuation… According to Rep. Tan, the need for medical Health reservists was highlighted by the recent distress call of dozens of medical groups to revert the National Capital Region to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) because of the surge in COVID-19 cases. The medical groups said that the shift to ECQ will give the government the time to recalibrate its COVID- 19 strategies and will give the already overwhelmed medical frontliners a little time to rest. (The government responded by declaring the NCR and nearby provinces back to modified ECQ from August 4-18.) Rep. Suansing, author of HB 7365, informed the body that the proposed law is among the priority legislations that the President mentioned during his State of the Nation Address last month, and urged its immediate passage into law. Expressing their support for the bills were the DOH, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Philippine Medical Association (PMA), and the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA). The DOH recommended that the proposed MRC should not be limited to licensed medical professionals but should also include graduates with degrees in medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other related fields. Meanwhile, the PMA encouraged the recruitment of doctors in the military with lenient requirements and suggested that paramedical studies or trainings be included in the general education curriculum in college so that more students will be enticed to pursue medical courses. The Department of National Defense and the Office of Civil Defense committed to submit their official position papers. Food Security Substitute Rep. Sy- Reducing food surplus through food The Committee, chaired by Rep. Wilfredo (Special Bill to HBs Alvarado, donations and food waste recycling "Willy" Caminero (2nd District, Cebu), approved Committee) 2031, 2186, Deputy Speaker the substitute bill to the 16 bills. 2189, 3342, Legarda, Reps. 3370, 3849, Castelo, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) 3973, 4450, Herrera-Dy, Philippines representative Vittina Valenzuela 4465, 4524, Garin (S.), presented its proposed food sharing model 4616, 4903, Agabas, Deputy which the Committee can consider in drafting 5467, 5974, Speaker the bill. 6468 &6474 Villafuerte, Reps. Salo, WWF-Philippines works to improve Filipino Crisologo, Nieto, lives by crafting solutions to climate change, Peña, Deputy providing sustainable livelihood programs, and Speaker conserving the country’s richest marine and Villanueva, land habitats. (Source: wwf.org.ph) Reps. Suntay, Dy (F.), and Resource persons from Rise Against Hunger, Villar Simply Share Foundation, and the University of the Philippines College of Public Health expressed their support to the bill. 3 of 13 Continuation… On designating the Department of Social Food Security Welfare and Development (DSWD) as the lead (Special implementing agency, Rep. Jesus "Bong" Committee) Suntay (4th District, Quezon City), author of HB 5974, recalled that the DSWD has previously expressed its concern that it may not be able to effectively implement the program due to lack of personnel and their vulnerability to infection while rendering services amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.